Celestial Beasts
by GeminiEarthDragon
Summary: North, South, East and West. Hidden in each of the cardinal directions is a Guardian, sleeping until the warriors capable of commanding their powers come. Now they’ve awakened, and the Xiaolin Dragons must try to find them before the forces of evil do...
1. The Awakening

**Celestial Beasts-** _North, South, East and West. Hidden in each of the cardinal directions is a Guardian, sleeping until the warriors capable of commanding their powers come. Now they've awakened, and the Xiaolin Dragons must try to find them before the forces of evil do..._

**Pairings-** _None so far._

**Posted-**_ January 3rd, 2010_

_**~*~ The Awakening ~*~**_

"My friends, I believe it is possible that I am going to melt." Omi moaned loudly, uncomfortably aware of the blistering sun beating down upon the four unfortunate monks as they toiled away cleaning up the temple grounds. "This wave of heat is moooost unbearable."

"Tell me about it." Raimundo agreed from where he was working, fanning himself with his hand to stir up a warm breeze which died off far too quickly for the Brazilian's tastes. Unfortunately though, the wind master didn't have the energy to try and keep it going. After working for five hours in the most unforgiving heat wave to ever hit the Xiaolin Temple, the sole Shoku Warrior among the Dragons felt completely spent. He didn't even have enough oomph left in him to correct Omi's slang abuse anymore.

"Dunno what you guys are complaining about." Kimiko interjected sourly, glaring at the two. "At least you're a little more comfortable then me, since you get to take your shirts off." True to Kimiko's words, both Rai and Omi had thrown off their outer robes and shoes hours ago. But since Kimiko was a girl, she didn't have this option. The best she had been able to get from Master Fung was a lighter, sleeveless version of the monk robes she usually wore, which only made things marginally better.

Thankfully, as the Dragon of Fire, she was at least slightly more impervious to heat then the boys, though that still didn't make her any less human and therefore subject to limitations of what her body could tolerate, and after five days of so-hot-you-can-barely-breathe-without-scorching-your-lungs weather, she had definitely found hers. Not to mention that her already infamous hair-trigger temper seemed to get even touchier the hotter it got, encouraging the boys to tread carefully around the female monk lest they accidentally step on a landmine. Sighing, the Asian girl turned a concerned frown to the final monk, the only one still fully dressed in his regular robes and sweating profusely because of it.

"Clay, are you sure you're okay over there? I mean, I know the hat keeps the sun out of your eyes, but you have GOT to be feeling this heat…"

"Thanks for askin', Kimiko, but I reckon I'm alright." Clay answered, smiling broadly at Kimiko's flabbergasted look of disbelief. "It gets mighty warm back in Texas, so a little sun don't bother me none. 'Sides, it ain't right for a man to wander 'round with his shirt off in front of a lady."

"What lady?" Raimundo snickered before promptly diving to the ground as the shovel Kimiko had been using imbedded itself in the wall behind the boy, where his neck had previously been. "Jeeze girl, you trying to take my head off or something?!"

"Why not?" Kimiko asked darkly. "It's not like _you_ use it." Rolling her eyes as the leader complained (He did SO use his head!) Kimiko turned back to Clay with a wry smile. "And while it's nice to know that _someone_ around here actually has some courtesy, there's really no need to torture yourself for my sake, Clay. It's cool if you wanna take your shirt off too."

"Seriously, Clay." Raimundo said teasingly as he pulled the shovel out of the wall, flipping it around acrobatically before tossing it back to Kimiko. "Besides, what girl wouldn't want to be surrounded by shirtless hunks like ourselves?"

"Sure Rai, keep telling yourself that." Kimiko snorted, rolling her eyes as she caught the shovel and turned back to her work, only to yelp loudly in surprise when she found her teacher standing right in front of her.

"Working hard, young Dragons?" Master Fung asked pointedly, making all four of the warriors flinch. "Distractions are not a luxury one can afford during battle, or in life. Perhaps I should better teach you this lesson by confiscating all those video games you four are so fond of?"

"Come on, Master Fung." Raimundo groaned. "It's like, a million degrees out here and we're slaving our butts off! Cut us a little slack, man…"

"Actually, it's only 112°." Dojo corrected the Brazilian cheerfully, pulling a thermometer out of thin air to show the monks. "See?"

"Still too hot." Raimundo insisted firmly. "And considering that we've repeatedly been to the center of the earth, inside volcanoes, across deserts and _Texas_, that's gotta be saying something."

"Well I, for one, refuse to admit defeat to a little heat!" Omi said boisterously, puffing out his chest before he began going through the practiced motions of some of his martial arts moves. "After all I AM the mighty Xiaolin Dragon of the Water! A scorching sun has no effect on a great warrior such as myself!"

"Is that why I caught you sleeping in the ice chest this morning, baldy?" Raimundo asked pointedly as Kimiko and Clay gave their small friend dry glares. Realizing he had been caught, Omi quickly gave up his facade and flashed his teammates a sheepish smile before throwing himself at Master Fung's feet.

"Oh pleeeeease, Master Fung, may we cease our chores and find refuge from this terrible heat! If only for a moment! Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease?!?!"

"Seriously, Master Fung, we're gonna pass out if we don't get some shade soon." Kimiko quipped up, fanning herself with her hand as Raimundo had done earlier, with a far less satisfactory result.

"Look, it's so hot my sweat is evaporating as soon as it leaves my body!" Raimundo complained, holding his bare arm up to the elderly monk to prove his point. A look of revulsion passed the elder monk's face as he stepped back to get away from the boy as a wave of BO hit him. Glancing around at his students, the old man quickly began to realize that they were not joking around or attempting to shirk their chores again. Seeing that the Dragons were dangerously close to a state of overheating, Master Fung sighed as he relented to the youths.

"Very well then, I suppose you four have earned yourselves a break. You may relieve yourselves to the shade after you finish putting away all the gardening tools."

The words had barely left his lips before all four of his students had disappeared at a speed even his eyes couldn't follow. By the time he had registered that they were gone, the Xiaolin Dragons were already in the kitchens trying to cool themselves off, tools cleaned and put away in their proper places in the storage shed on the other side of the temple.

"You know, there's something to be said about using heat as a motivator…" Dojo observed wryly.

"Indeed." Master Fung agreed, mildly amused. "Perhaps I could use this heat wave to convince the young monks to give the old bathing halls the proper cleaning that they have been sorely needing for a while now…"

"Yeesh! Now THAT is not a job for the faint at heart…" Dojo said, making a face as he thought of the decrepit old bathing house that the elder monks had been considering restoring for a while now, which was in such a state of such disarray that most of the residents in the temple would not go near them for fear of falling through the rotting boards or encountering germ-infested rodents. Chuckling in response, Master Fung turned his attention away from his students and made his way calmly to the meditation chambers.

**~*~**

"Ahhh, sweet relief!" Raimundo moaned blissfully as he polished off an entire pitcher of ice water before joining Kimiko in front of the solar-powered fan her father had sent her from Japan.

"I hear ya, partner!" Clay chuckled from where he was fishing a spoon out of the silverware drawer. "I haven't been this hot since my Uncle Bobby tried to light off a hundred and twenty-nine Fourth of July fireworks at once and set the barn on fire. Took us all night to put that blaze out." Opening the ice chest, Clay started to reach in for something, but froze at the sight that greeted him. "…Omi?"

"Hello, my friend!" Omi replied cheerfully. "Is there something that you are in need of?"

"Uh, yeah…" Clay said hesitantly. "Think you could pass the ice cream up, partner? Rocky Road, please."

"Certainly, Clay!" Omi responded, kicking the carton of ice cream up so that in landed in his hand. "Here you go! Could you please now close the door? The cold air is leaving me."

"Uh, sure partner…" Clay answered, grabbing the ice cream and obediently shutting the door of the ice chest before giving Kimiko and Raimundo a bewildered look, making the Brazilian grin in response.

"You think I was kidding when I said I found him in there this morning?" Raimundo asked, snickering.

"Poor little guy." Kimiko said sympathetically. "This heat's hitting him harder then the rest of us."

"I'm sure the 'great Xiaolin Dragon of Water.' can handle it, Kim." Raimundo quoted with an eye roll. "Now move over, you're hogging the fan." Kimiko responded to her leader's demand by sticking her tongue out at the boy, forcing him to resort to underhanded methods.

"RAIMUNDO!" Kimiko yelped as the boy took an ice cube out to his pitcher and slipped it down the back of her robe. Jumping up, Kimiko started doing a strange sort of hopping dance to try and dispel the uncomfortably cold object from her clothes. Laughing manically, Raimundo immediately stole the spot the girl had unwittingly relinquished and grinned wickedly as he watched his friend's frenzied actions. He was almost disappointed when the cube finally fell out of Kimiko's robes and to the ground, where it promptly melted into nothing from the sheer heat of Kimiko's rage as her element started to swirl around her. "Raimundo…." She growled dangerously.

"What? I asked nice!" The green eyed boy said innocently, making Kimiko even angrier. "Hey, you tried to behead me earlier, remember? Now we're even! So chill already, you're not gonna help with the whole heat wave thing if you start throwing one of your fire fits." Scowling, Kimiko reluctantly killed her fire, knowing that Raimundo was right but not wanting to admit it.

But just because she couldn't use fire didn't mean she couldn't get revenge.

Bellowing out a war cry, Kimiko immediately pounced on the unsuspecting Raimundo, sending both of them rolling across the temple floor. From the kitchen table, Clay chuckled as he watched on as the two Dragons scuffled with one another, curses and insults stringing together with incoherent shouting as elbows and feet flew in the clumsy two-person brawl.

_If only every day was this peaceful…_ The Earth Dragon thought in bemusement, digging into the ice cream carton as Kimiko momentarily regained her spot in front of the fan before Raimundo yanked her back into another fray.

**~*~**

Silence reigned in the Meditation Room, and the smell of incense was heavy in the dark room. Like the rest of the temple, the room had been subjected to the recent heat wave, making it uncomfortable, but Master Fung had more focus then his easily excitable young students, and was able to ignore the heat and keep his mind trained on achieving inner peace.

Suddenly though, there was a shift in the cosmic forces, powerful enough to make the old man falter. The jasmine incense were quickly overpowered by the smell of the lotus flower. Opening his eyes, Master Fung looked up in confusion only to freeze in shock at the sight in front of him.

Rising out of the caldron, where there was normally a thin trail of white smoke, was a thick sapphire plume in the shape of a fierce looking dragon, glaring right at Master Fung. Leaping to his feet, the old man warily backed away from the cloud as the other elder monks hastily scurried to Master Fung's side.

"Okay, I dunno who this guy is, but just for the record I did NOT invite him!" Dojo told the Master hastily from the man's shoulder, looking attentively at the beast before them. The small Dragon's jaw dropped when another stream of smoke, red this time, rose from the caldron to form the shape of a bird, facing the southern wall. Groaning, the small green creature hid himself behind the temple master "Great. Now he's got a friend…"

"Master Fung, what is the meaning of this?" One of the monks asked with wide-eyes as a white cloud rose to make a third animal, this one a feline creature facing the opposite direction of the Dragon. The old man didn't respond immediately, instead watching intently as a tendril of black smoke emerged to create a serpent to the Dragon's left side.

As soon as the fourth beast was completed, all four creatures shot forward, making the monks freeze as the Dragon lunged at Master Fung with its jaws open wide. Dojo screamed loudly and dove into Master Fung's robes to hide as the beast came towards them. Instead of harming the monk though, the cloud harmlessly disappeared as soon as it touched the old man. Sighing, Master Fung reached into his shirt to fish the Temple Guardian out from wherever he had disappeared to.

"Come now, Dojo, it was merely a smoke apparition. Perfectly harmless…" He coaxed as he reached around in his robes. Finally getting the dragon out, Master Fung held the shaking creature at an arm's length for a moment as he waited patiently for Dojo to uncover his eyes to see that the danger had passed.

"Oh." Dojo said lamely as he realized that all four beasts were gone. "I knew that…"

"Master Fung…" One of the monks started, concerned. "What on earth was that about?" Master Fung frowned at the caldron, which has started to emit the same harmless trail of jasmine smoke that it normally did before he finally gave the answer to the monk's question.

"It seems that the Si Shou have reawakened." Silence stretched on for a long time after Master Fung's explanation before…

"WHAAAAAAAT?!!" Dojo yelled loud enough to startle the four young monks resting in the kitchen three buildings away. "Whadda mean 'The Si Shou have awakened?!' The Si Shou have been asleep for nearly a MILLENIA! And they wake up NOW?!!"

"There's no mistaking a sign like that, Dojo." Master Fung responded as he calmly moved back to his seat.

"But…" Another monk said hesitantly. "For the Si Shou to awaken, that would mean…"

"Indeed." Master Fung said gravely, sighing heavily. "It seems that things are not about to get any easier for our young Dragons." Dojo froze at the implication of the old man's words.

"Wait… You're not thinkin' of sending those kids out, are you?" Dojo asked incredulously. "No way! They're way too young! They'll just get chewed up and spat out by those monsters!"

"We have no choice, Dojo." Master Fung reminded the Temple Guardian. "They're the only ones who could do it."

"Master Fung?" a voice at the door alerted everyone to the arrival of the young warriors in question. Frowning curiously at the tension in the room, Raimundo stepped forward as the other three Dragons hovered hesitantly behind him. "Master Fung, did something happen? We heard shouting…"

"Indeed, Raimundo." The old man confirmed as the other elder monks took the arrival of the chosen ones as their cue to their leave. "Come in, young ones, I have something very important to tell you."

Exchanging looks (because 'important news' was more often then not 'bad news' in the Xiaolin Temple) all four Dragons immediately entered the Meditation Hall, seating themselves on the ground in front of Master Fung. As soon as everyone was settled, Master Fung continued, his voice grave.

"Just now, myself and the other elder monks received a sign as we were meditating." Master Fung paused for a moment to look each of the Dragon's over before continuing. "Young monks, it seems that the legendary beasts known collectively as the Si Shou have just awakened." Raimundo, Kimiko and Clay looked even more confused at the man's words. Omi, on the other hand, was completely floored by what his master had just revealed.

"WHAT?!!" He exclaimed loudly, so stunned that someone could have knock him over with a feather. "Master Fung, is that true?!"

"I would not lie about something so serious, child." Master Fung said gravely.

"So how bad are these Si Shou guys, anyways?" Raimundo asked, getting straight to the point. "I mean, where are these dudes gonna fall on a scale of 'Jack-Spicer-to-Chase-Young?'"

"No my friends, you misunderstand!" Omi said gleefully. "The Si Shou are not creatures of evil, but good! They are powerful Guardian Spirits that have been sealed away for many, maaaany years now! Before Dashi, and Wuya, and the Shen Gon Wu!"

"That is correct." Master Fung sighed at Omi's excitement. "The Si Shou are the four most powerful mystical beings in all of China, and like the four of you they have an affinity with the elements. However, nearly a millennia ago, their powers began to become too much, threatening to tear the lands apart.

"As Guardian Spirits, the Si Shou could not bear for this to happen, and so they devised a plan. Putting themselves into a deep slumber, the Spirits managed to quiet their powers. One sleeps in each of the cardinal directions- North, South, East and West- until four great warriors capable of channeling their abilities without upsetting the balance would appear."

"Meaning me!" Omi proclaimed loudly. Seeing the looks he was getting from his friends, the small bald monk immediately corrected himself. "Erm… I mean us!"

"So basically a bunch of super powerful mystical creatures that _aren't_ evil have woken up?" Raimundo clarified, more then a little confused. "Where's the part with the fire and brimstone and 'ten thousand years of darkness?'"

"The Si Shou themselves are creatures of honor and purity." Master Fung agreed. "However, they must follow the path of whomever they swear their loyalty to. If someone from they Heylin side were to get even one of the Guardian Beasts…"

"…Then that would mean bad news for the rest of the earth." Kimiko realized grimly.

"That means we gotta wrangle up those magical monsters before Jack Spicer and them get their grubby Heylin hands on 'em!" Clay finished with a determined glare.

"So basically, we gotta find these Si Shou guys so the bad guys don't get them." Raimundo summed up. "Sounds easy enough."

"Wrong, Raimundo." Master Fung said, shaking his head. "Before they fell asleep, each Si Shou prepared a number of tests that any warrior hoping to command them must complete. Each of these tests is dangerous, and one who is not fully prepared for them could easily lose their lives."

"Never fear, Master Fung!" Omi said loudly. "For I am prepared enough to take these tests for all four of us, if need be!"

"Which brings me to one of the stipulations of the tests, Omi." Master Fung responded. "Whoever decides to partake in one of these quests must do so alone. No other warriors may come along to assist them."

"So, we're not going to have any help at all?" Kimiko asked, surprised.

"There are temples situated near each of the sites where a Si Shou is sealed. Each is equipped with a guide who will lead you to the sites where the beast resides, but other then that you will receive no outside help." Master Fung confirmed. "This includes Shen Gon Wu, as well your Wudai Weapons."

"No help, no wu, no weapons…" Clay blew out a frustrated sigh. "This is shapin' up to be harder then tryin' to catch a greased piglet blindfolded with both hands tied behind your back."

"Well I, for one, feel most confident in my abilities!" Omi boasted.

"When aren't you?" Raimundo asked dryly with a teasing smirk as Omi glared sourly at the taller boy.

"So which of us will be going after which Guardian, Master Fung?" Kimiko asked curiously, making Omi brighten right back up.

"Yes Master! I am most curious to know which beast I will have the honor of commanding!" The monk said eagerly.

"Each of you will be sent after the beast that shares your element." Master Fung explained, standing up. "Kimiko, you will go south to the Tengchong volcano for the Fire Spirit, the Vermillion Bird. Clay, you will be sent west to retrieve the Earth Spirit residing on the mountains, the White Tiger. Omi will go north to the frozen tundra to retrieve the Water Spirit, the Black Warrior. And Raimundo will journey east to the ocean where the Air Spirit, the Azure Dragon, lies."

"Azure Dragon?" Raimundo repeated, brightening considerably. "Sweet! That sounds totally cool!"

"Perhaps, my friend, but the Black Warrior sounds even more cold then your simple Dragon." Omi gloated. "After all, we already have a dragon, and he isn't at all useful in battle!"

"Excuse me?" Dojo said, affronted. He was, of course, ignored by the young monks.

"Y'all sound like you've got some pretty impressive creatures there, but I gotta say I like the sound of my White Tiger best." Clay chuckled warmly.

"Well, _almost _all of us have impressive creature." Omi reminded the cowboy before placing a comforting hand on Kimiko's shoulder. "Fear not Kimiko, I'm sure that your bird will be a most suitable creature for a girl such as yourself."

"Thanks, Omi." Kimiko said sarcastically. "And anyways, I bet that mine is a lot cooler then it sounds! I just wish I didn't have to go to a volcano to get it, since more heat is the last thing I need right now."

"Gives new meaning to the term 'Out of the frying pan and into the fire.'" Raimundo agreed, snickering to himself. "So when do we leave?"

"Immediately." Master Fung answered. "Dojo will drop each of you off at the temples in charge of each shrine, and you will start your quests tomorrow morning. I wish you all the best, young monks. And remember to be careful. The forces of evil will surely be after the beasts as well…"

As if in response to Master Fung's warning, the Yin/Yang Bird flapped its wings impatiently outside of the temple, where it's Master sat eavesdropping on the monks' conversation without alerting any of the temple's inhabitants.

"The Si Shou, huh…?" Hannibal Bean drawled, chuckling wickedly to himself as he plotted. "How _very_ interesting…"

**~*~**

**Next Update- **_January 10th, 2010_

**Please Review!**


	2. Setting Off

**Posted-** _January 10th, 2010_

_**~*~ Setting Off ~*~**_

"The Si Shou, you say?" Wuya purred, one eyebrow arcing high as she smirked at her companion. "My my, that IS big news…"

"Yep." Hannibal grinned, pleased that the woman was so interested. "All we gotta do is get rid of the brats and find the beasts for ourselves. After that, takin' over the world will be as easy as pie. After we get finish off Chase Young, of course."

"Of course." Wuya agreed wryly, having no objections to finally being rid of the immortal dragon warrior, who was far too smart for her own good. If only she had her powers… "But how will we get all four of them? After all, if we have two and the Xiaolin Brats have two, it will be a stalemate, and I don't like losing any edge I might have."

"We'll recruit someone to find the other two for us." Hannibal explained, giving the woman a pointed smirk as she visibly deflated once realization struck her of who the bean was talking about.

"Please tell me you're not thinking of Jack Spicer?" Wuya groaned.

"Heh, the boy's dumber then a sack of rocks, but he's easy to manipulate." Hannibal pointed out.

"That's true, I suppose…" Wuya mused. "And considering how well he did in that Showdown against you and Chase, perhaps he would actually be useful to have around."

"Don't remind me." Hannibal grumble, still sore over his embarrassing loss to the self-proclaimed boy genius. "So, any ideas for the fourth person?"

"Katnappe might work, I suppose." Wuya pointed out. "She's an irritating little brat, but her having one of the beasts would at least be marginally better then the monks, and I doubt we'll ever have a problem with her trying to use her Guardian's powers against us."

"Works for me!" Hannibal said happily, hopping off of the Heylin witch's shoulder and on to the Yin/Yang Bird. "You go find her, and I'll get boy genius on board."

"Understood." Wuya smirked, sauntering off to find a petty blonde cat thief.

Neither she nor Hannibal saw the crow that had been circling them overhead fly off after the two parted ways.

**~*~**

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"How about now?"

"_No_, Omi."

"…Now?"

"OMI!"

"I am merely asking! No need to chew my butt off!"

"First of all, it's 'bite my head off.' Secondly; _Eeeeeeew!_ And third and finally, when we get to the Northern Temple, I'm sure that Dojo's gonna let you know." After deflating for a moment at Raimundo's logic, Omi huffed at his teammates' exasperation with his constant badgering, glaring sourly at nothing in general.

"Well I would not ask so much if Dojo could get us there faster…" Omi pointed out grumpily.

"You wanna walk to the Northern Temple? 'Cuz that's what's gonna happen if you don't stop backseat flying!" The dragon in question shot back, irritably.

"Sorry, Dojo. We're all just really excited." Kimiko apologized before smiling sweetly at the temple guardian. "So what are these Si Shou guys like, anyways? Did you know any of them?"

"The Si Shou sealed themselves up a millennia ago. Just how old do you think I am, kid?" Dojo asked with an amused snort.

"Do you really want me to answer that?" Kimiko shot back, grinning.

"Touché." Dojo amended before frowning thoughtfully. "Well, I've never met any of the Si Shou, but I have heard rumors. Mostly about the Azure Dragon. He was a pretty big deal in the circles I run in, as I'm sure you can imagine. Supposedly, he had some kind of connection to the Emperor of China, so he's become known as the King of Dragons."

"King of Dragons, huh?" Raimundo mused, grinning wickedly. "Sweet! I could live with that."

"Yeah, according to the legends, he's supposed to be some wise, benevolent creature, on top of having all sorts of crazy powers that can totally blow everything else out of the water. He could control the storms, command the skies and move at speeds that humans could not begin to comprehend." Dojo continued. "He's also supposed to be the keeper of the Pearl of Wisdom, from which all the knowledge that mankind possesses came from. Oh, and I've heard of the Vermillion Bird, too, She's rumored to be a real beauty, if my sources are right."

"She?" Kimiko repeated, brightening considerably. "So it's a girl, then?"

"How appropriate for you Kimiko!" Omi said cheerfully. "After all, as a female Guardian, the Vermillion Bird will surely be the weakest!"

The look Kimiko shot the young monk for his comment could have peeled paint.

"Actually Omi, the Vermillion Bird-!"

"Yes yes, enough about Kimiko's guardian!" Omi interrupted the dragon impatiently. "Tell me about the Black Warrior! He is the most powerful of the Si Shou, correct?!"

"Huh?" Dojo said, raising an eyebrow. "Uh, sorry kid. I haven't heard very much about the Black Warrior. All I really know about him is that he's got some serious water powers, and that he's supposed to be almost impossible to defeat. Oh, and I remember hearing that he's some kind of a sea serpent… or is it a snake…?" Dojo trailed off thoughtfully, frowning to himself as he wracked his memory. Omi didn't pay the dragon any more heed though, instead climbing back to Raimundo and Clay to gloat.

"Do you hear that, my friends?" He preened. "The Black Warrior is impossible to defeat! Like me! No wonder I was destined to be his master!"

"Yeah, well I still say that the King of Dragons sounds cooler, baldy." Raimundo scoffed, flicking the small monk's forehead.

"You are just being attacked by a blue-eyed beast, Raimundo!" Omi said, turning up his nose at the boy. "Most unbecoming for a leader."

"Right, sure. Whatever you say, buddy." Raimundo said, rolling his eyes. "And it's 'Bitten by the green-eyed monster!'"

"What about the last one?" Kimiko asked Dojo, ignoring the boys behind her. "The White Tiger, right?"

"Yeah, the earth spirit." Dojo nodded to the girl. "From what I know, he's got a powerfully strong affinity with nature, animals, and the land. On top of having great strength, he's also supposed to have a really honorable character too, always protecting the weak and making sure everything's fair."

"Sounds perfect for you, Clay!" Kimiko said, grinning back at the cowboy.

"I reckon I'll be happy if he just likes to eat." Clay joked with a chuckle. "That way we could bond over a nice, Texas-sized steak dinner."

"Dude, do you ever think about anything other then your stomach?" Raimundo asked, shaking his head in bemusement.

"What else is there to think about?" Clay shot back with a grin.

"The mission, for one." Dojo answered for Raimundo. "After all, we just reached our first destination!"

"The Northern Temple?!" Omi asked excitedly, pushing his way back to the front as the Dragon came in for a landing.

"Sorry, kid. This is Raimundo's stop." Dojo said, making the monk visibly deflate in disappointment as the other Dragon Warriors peered around him curiously.

"Wait a minute…" Kimiko said as she got a good look at the temple they were landing in. "Isn't this-?"

"Master Monk Guan!" Omi realized excitedly, pointing to the legendary monk as he came out to greet the new arrivals.

"Welcome, young warriors!" Guan said warmly as Dojo landed. Raimundo immediately jumped off the dragon's back, grinning widely at Guan as he approached the large man.

"Yo, Guan!" Raimundo said, giving a friendly wave. "I didn't know this was the Eastern Temple!"

"Indeed, Raimundo." Guan said, chuckling warmly. "Then again, we had no idea that you would be the warrior chosen to attempt to find the Azure Dragon. But whatever the reason, it is wonderful to see you four again. Would you like to stop in to catch up for a bit before continuing onwards?"

"No thank you, Master Guan," Omi said respectfully. "After all, it is mooost imperative that we reach our temples as soon as possible, to prepare for what may come."

"Yeah, and I don't wanna risk running into Chucky." Dojo grumbled, still sore over the yo-yo incident.

"We'll catch you on our way back to pick Rai up, Master Guan." Kimiko promised cheerfully as Dojo began to take off again. "Later! And good luck, Rai!"

"You too!" Raimundo called up to his friends teasingly. "Don't you guys fall to pieces without your great and wonderful leader there to protect you, ya hear?!"

"You just worry about yourself there, partner!" Clay shot back with a laugh as Dojo carried the young monks towards their next destination.

"Your friend is right, Raimundo. The quest for the Azure Dragon will not be a simple one." Guan said knowingly. "It will require you to face dangers like you've never known before, testing your strength, endurance, courage and ability to think on your feet. You will have virtually no assistance in finding and freeing the Eastern Spirit from the shrine that it is entombed in, and will be facing demons the like of which you've never seen before. Do you feel prepared to face such great odds and make this attempt?" Raimundo grinned confidently in response to the monk's question.

"Got any extra dragon food around this place? Something tells me my guy's gonna be hungry after napping for a millennia." Raimundo quipped, making Guan chuckle warmly in response.

"I had a feeling you'd say that." Guan admitted with a grin, putting his hand on Raimundo's shoulder leading him to the inner temple. "Come. I'll fill you in on what will be expected of you over dinner…"

**~*~**

"…So lemme get this straight; These… Celestial Beasts, or whatever are super powerful monsters that are technically good guys, but have to listen to whatever the people who find them say?" Jack frowned as he summed up what Wuya and Hannibal had just told him.

"Huh. And we only had to explain it once. Perhaps there's hope for the boy after all." Hannibal mused, smirking at Wuya.

"Still don't get what Ashley's doing here." Jack broke in, shooting a sour glare at the spandex-clad girl in question, who hissed in reply.

"It's Katnappe, doofus." Katnappe sneered. "And who cares about these stupid guardian thingies, anyways? I mean, what's in it for me if I decide to help you losers out?"

"You mean besides great power and knowledge beyond the wildest dreams your puny human mind can come up with?" Hannibal clarified before grinning at the girl. "Did I mention that the Guardian of the West is a White Tiger?" the blonde girl brightened immediately at the mention of a feline.

"Called it!" Katnappe claimed quickly.

"I figured you might." Hannibal drawled with a chuckle. "I, of course, will be going after the Azure Dragon. And I already know the first place I'll use its powers." Grinning evilly, Hannibal thought of the Temple nearest to the Eastern Guardian's shrine, and the embarrassment he had suffered there. It helped that Raimundo would be the Dragon

going after the Wind Spirit, too…

"Well _I_ want the Vermillion Bird." Wuya announced, smirking. "After all, since it is supposed to be recognized as a symbol of the Empress of China, it's only appropriate that I be its master."

"Wait a minute, what does that leave me with?!" Jack whined irritably.

"You, my diminutive friend, will go after the Northern Beast, the Black Warrior." Hannibal answered him in annoyance.

"The Black Warrior, huh?" Jack repeated thoughtfully before grinning in approval. "I like that! It totally sounds like a Minion of Evil! So when do we leave?"

"Now, if not sooner." Wuya answered. "The test begins tomorrow at dawn, and ends at sunset. If no one finds the Spirit by then, then it will go back to sleep until the next worthy warrior appears. And remember to watch out for the Xiaolin monks. They will be going after the Guardians as well…"

"Hah! Those losers? Please!" Katnappe scoffed. "I could take those dorks on blindfolded."

"Yeah, besides, I have my monkey staff to- Hey!" Jack yelped in surprise when Wuya suddenly tore the Shen Gon Wu in question from his grasp, holding it out of his reach as the boy genius tried to retrieve it. "No fair! Give it back!" Jack's attempt to rescue his favorite wu proved futile though, when Wuya suddenly grabbed him by the collar and hauled him off his feet until their faces were centimeters apart, her expression deathly serious.

"Under no circumstances are any Shen Gon Wu to be used during this test." Wuya hissed at the boy.

"But-!"

"NO!" Wuya roared, making Jack deflate as he quickly swallowed his protest. "One of the things that were made indefinitely clear in regards to this test is the fact that absolutely NO magical artifacts are allowed, and anyone who dares to break the rules of the Si Shou will be torn apart and eaten by the spirits as soon as they're released, and chaotic energies of the spirit themselves will then proceed to herald in the destruction of all life. While I do not particularly care if the Black Warrior decides to turn you into an after nap snack, the end of mankind would put a damper on my plans for world domination. YOU. WILL. NOT. USE. SHEN. GON. WU!" Finished with her warning, Wuya proceeded to unceremoniously drop Jack onto the floor, where he fell painfully on his backside.

"Yes, Ma'am," Jack squeaked, nodding meekly at the Heylin Witch. Confident that she had gotten through to the boy, Wuya tossed the Monkey Staff back to him.

"Keep that thing in your lab, so you don't get tempted when things get tough." Wuya barked as Jack scurried to his feet, the Wu clutched protectively to his chest.

"Well if we can't use Wu, that means the Xiaolin Losers can't either." Katnappe realized, smirking. "That makes things even easier."

"Yes, without their Wu or Wudai weapons, the monks can only rely on their skills as warriors." Hannibal agreed, chuckling. "Which means this'll be like takin' candy from a bunch of babies…"

"So, everyone is good on the plan, then?" Wuya asked, getting confident grins from Katnappe and Jack. "Good. In that case, I expect to see Celestial Beasts from all of you next time we meet up." And, with a casual backwards wave the Heylin Witch immediately set off to the Southern Temple, not needing to look to see that the other three were already setting off to their own destinations.

**~*~**

"…And here's our last stop! Kimiko, welcome to the home of the Vermillion Bird!"

"Hup!" Kimiko grunted as she jumped off Dojo's back, allowing the dragon to shrink down to his smaller form. He immediately settled on the Fire Dragon's shoulder as she glanced around curiously. "So this is the Southern Temple, huh?"

"That's right!" Dojo said cheerfully. "Been a while since I've been here. Looks like they put in some new renovations…" Nodding absently, Kimiko turned to glance at her small companion.

"You gonna head back home now, Dojo?" She asked curiously.

"Nah, I'll just wait around here with you until this shindig is over. Means less flying on my part. Besides, I wanna know if the Vermillion Bird is as much of a babe as the rumors say she is." Kimiko rolled her eyes as Dojo wiggled his eyebrows pointedly at the girl. She opened her mouth to respond when her attention was caught by the arrival of the Head Monk as he came out to greet her, making Kimiko falter in surprise at what she saw.

Unlike the elderly Head Monks of the Northern and Western Temples, whom Kimiko met briefly when Omi and Clay were dropped off, the Head Monk of the Southern Temple was a young man, in his late twenties if Kimiko had to wager a guess, and surprisingly handsome. He still had a full head of jet black hair, trimmed short, and dark eyes that were fixed upon her with a warm, friendly light.

"The Xiaolin Dragon of Fire, I presume?" He asked, his voice light as he gave Kimiko a respectful bow. "It is an honor to finally meet one of the Legendary Warriors in person. Allow me to be the first to welcome you to the Northern Temple. I am the Head Monk, Yue."

"T-Thank you." Kimiko stammered, startled despite herself. "Um, I don't mean to sound rude or anything, but… are you a little young to be the Head Monk of your own temple?" Instead of being offended by Kimiko's question, Yue looked amused.

"Well, I suppose I am." He admitted with a chuckle. "Many of the elder monks around here certainly felt so when the former Head Monk appointed me to my position last month. Rest assured though, I have been student of the teachings of this temple for as long as I can remember, and it is my sole desire to uphold these teachings for future generations." Raising an eyebrow at the girl, Yue grinned mischievously as he added. "Besides, I have to admit that I was expecting the Xiaolin Dragon of Fire to be a little… _taller_." Catching his drift, Kimiko couldn't help but grin in response.

"Point taken." She amended, bowing respectfully to the man. "It's nice to meet you, Master Yue. I'm Kimiko Tohomiko, and I'm honored to be staying at your temple."

"Well Kimiko, I suppose we have a lot to talk about." Yue mused, motioning to the temple entrance. "Come. We've prepared a meal for your arrival. I will tell you what I know of the Vermillion Bird as you eat. Tomorrow morning, my younger brother will lead you to the shrine on top of Tengchong. I must warn you, Tengchong is still an active volcano, so you will have to tread carefully."

"No worries, Master Yue, I've been in volcanoes before." Kimiko said dismissively, prompting Yue to give the girl a curious look. "…Shen Gon Wu hunting. It's a long story."

"You'll have to tell me more about it, if we find the free time." Yue said, bemused.

"I'll do that." Kimiko said, grinning back. She was quickly growing to like Yue, who was less stiff and serious then most of the Master Monks she'd met on her journeys. "But first things first. About this Vermillion Bird…"

**~*~**

In the darkness of this lair, Chase Young smirked as he watched the images his globe was showing him intently. Four young monks, four Heylin warriors, and four celestial beasts.

"How very entertaining…" Chase chuckled, absently stroking the head of the panther lying at his side. "These little games the Si Shou have come up with should make for an amusing show. I'll have to keep my eye on them as I prepare to make my move…" Grinning wickedly, Chase dismissed his globe, standing up from his throne to make his way out of his lair.

Now was when the true battle between good and evil would begin…

**~*~**

_That's all for now. Please check my Celestial Beasts fancomic on Deviantart (There's a link in my profile.) and BIG thank you to the three readers who took the time to review; angel-devil-2009, xxFireWarriorxx and spazzmanaray. As thanks, I'd like to make each of you artwork of your requests. My only stipulation is that it can't deal with sex and the likes, and I'd honestly prefer if it had dealt with XS (It's easier to draw something I know then something I don't, after all.) Also, since I forgot to mention so laster chapter, I might as well say this now; I do not own Xiaolin Showdown or any characters attacked to it. I make no personal profit off of this story, so please don't come around to sue me..._

**Next Update-** _January 31st_

**Please Review!**


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